BLOOD
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).
For the forgiveness of sins, the Bible teaches that a blood sacrifice is necessary. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus’s death was a sacrificial “shedding of blood” for the forgiveness of our sins. Had Christ been hit on the head, strangled, poisoned, etc., God would not have accepted His sacrifice for sins. Only his death would not have been sufficient, but “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” In the 21st century, some think of themselves as too civilized or too wise to talk about the blood of Christ. But the Bible warns us not to consider the blood of Christ an “unholy thing” (Hebrews 10:29). We are all sinners, but Christ was able to die for the sins of the whole world because he never sinned. "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 2:2) Propitiation means appeasing or satisfying God's anger towards our sins. Christ never sinned, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." II Corinthians 5:21 (See also, I Peter 2:21, I John 3:5, John 8:46).
What if you had lived during the time of the Exodus? And you're talking to your friend Billy who tells you, "Everyone has to put blood on the door of their house, for tonight the Death Angel will come through and kill the firstborn of every house that has no blood on the door." And you notice that all the houses in your village have blood on their doors, but not the door of your house. And you ask your dad about it and say you're concerned because Billy said the firstborn son of each house will die without it, and you're the firstborn son in your house. But your dad replies, "Son, it's only a symbol; it just shows that we killed the lamb, and the lamb is dead already. So, you don't have to worry about it." What would you have said to that? I would have said, "Dad, is it ok if I sleep over at Billy's house tonight?"
The Passover lamb was a type of Christ.
Exodus 12:1-13 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,...Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it...And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
Observe it said, "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:" Christ was without sin, a male, and in his youth. This is why John the Baptist, when he first saw Jesus Christ, said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).
Statements such as “I believe Christ shed His blood, while He was dying for our sins” may sound like the person is in agreement that the blood of Christ is necessary, but that is not the meaning of such a “tricky” statement. The person who makes such a statement is only saying that “while He was dying for our sins,” he just happened to be shedding his blood. The Lord’s Table has two elements: the bread, which represents Christ’s body, and the cup: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28). It is faith in the blood of Christ that forgives sin, not the communion cup, which only represents the blood for Christ. But both elements, the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, are given in the Lord’s Table, and we are specifically told by Christ that the cup represents “my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” If someone believes it was only the death of Christ that was necessary for the forgiveness of sins, then he should partake of only the unleavened bread of the communion table and no longer take the cup.
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). The Bible says we were redeemed by the “precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7 & Colossians 1:14, and many other such verses).
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).
For the forgiveness of sins, the Bible teaches that a blood sacrifice is necessary. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus’s death was a sacrificial “shedding of blood” for the forgiveness of our sins. Had Christ been hit on the head, strangled, poisoned, etc., God would not have accepted His sacrifice for sins. Only his death would not have been sufficient, but “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” In the 21st century, some think of themselves as too civilized or too wise to talk about the blood of Christ. But the Bible warns us not to consider the blood of Christ an “unholy thing” (Hebrews 10:29). We are all sinners, but Christ was able to die for the sins of the whole world because he never sinned. "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 2:2) Propitiation means appeasing or satisfying God's anger towards our sins. Christ never sinned, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." II Corinthians 5:21 (See also, I Peter 2:21, I John 3:5, John 8:46).
What if you had lived during the time of the Exodus? And you're talking to your friend Billy who tells you, "Everyone has to put blood on the door of their house, for tonight the Death Angel will come through and kill the firstborn of every house that has no blood on the door." And you notice that all the houses in your village have blood on their doors, but not the door of your house. And you ask your dad about it and say you're concerned because Billy said the firstborn son of each house will die without it, and you're the firstborn son in your house. But your dad replies, "Son, it's only a symbol; it just shows that we killed the lamb, and the lamb is dead already. So, you don't have to worry about it." What would you have said to that? I would have said, "Dad, is it ok if I sleep over at Billy's house tonight?"
The Passover lamb was a type of Christ.
Exodus 12:1-13 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,...Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it...And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
Observe it said, "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year:" Christ was without sin, a male, and in his youth. This is why John the Baptist, when he first saw Jesus Christ, said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).
Statements such as “I believe Christ shed His blood, while He was dying for our sins” may sound like the person is in agreement that the blood of Christ is necessary, but that is not the meaning of such a “tricky” statement. The person who makes such a statement is only saying that “while He was dying for our sins,” he just happened to be shedding his blood. The Lord’s Table has two elements: the bread, which represents Christ’s body, and the cup: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28). It is faith in the blood of Christ that forgives sin, not the communion cup, which only represents the blood for Christ. But both elements, the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, are given in the Lord’s Table, and we are specifically told by Christ that the cup represents “my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” If someone believes it was only the death of Christ that was necessary for the forgiveness of sins, then he should partake of only the unleavened bread of the communion table and no longer take the cup.
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). The Bible says we were redeemed by the “precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7 & Colossians 1:14, and many other such verses).
